The Enlightenment : The Impact Of The Enlightenment In America

European imperialism during 1450-1750, began as a plan to gain more riches for the European nations. The Europeans did this for three main reasons, which were for God, Gold, and Glory. The Europeans domination over Latin America, Africa and Asia were made out to be good for the native people of these lands. However, the Europeans were not there to help these geographic areas. They were there to spread their influence and gain riches for themselves and the European nations. The successes and failures of the Europeans and non Europeans would decide their relationship status for as long as they could co-exist.

During the mid 1800s and 1900s, the continent of Africa was being invaded by European superpower nations such as Great Britain, France, and others. The proper act was named as Colonialism which according to my lecture notes means: “a racially based system of political, economical, and cultural domination forced on an indigenous majority by a technological superior foreign minority” (Zeitler). For instance, many European nations enforced imperialism on the continent of Africa because of its recently discovered natural resources which would be beneficial for their countries, and Europeans used western education and religion as a moral “cover” for their easy access to the native African’s lands and enforce the natives to be more civilized

Both the Enlightenment and the Great awakening caused the colonists to alter their views about government, the role of government, as well as society at large which ultimately and collectively helped to motivate the colonists to revolt against England. The Enlightenment was vital in almost every part of the founding of America, which included everything from government, to politics itself, as well as religion. Many of the ideas from the Enlightenment and the Great Awakening shaped our country as a whole in its seminal years, inspiring everything from the American Revolution, to the Constitution, and even electricity and stoves. Without the central ideas and figures of both the Great Awakening and the Enlightenment era, the United States

the claim to the Crown, and he believed that individuals held the right to revolt against a

The Enlightenment was the root of many of the ideas of the American Revolution. It was a movement that focused mostly on freedom of speech, equality, freedom of press, and religious tolerance. The American Revolution was the time period where America tried to gain its independence from England. They got influenced very much from many philosophers. That will be discussed throughout the essay. The Enlightenment ideas were the main influences for American Colonies to become their own nation.

The ideas of the Enlightenment are currently shown directly in our modern day society. The Enlightenment was a european movement in the late 17th century emphasizing reason and individualism rather than tradition. It allowed people more freedom and more opportunities. It affected today's way of living through politics because it questioned the idea of people of a community governing their community. Religion was also affected because it sought reasonable faith that many could follow and had reason. The Enlightenment did not only have an impact on politics and religion but also on economics because it denounced slavery and slave trade as well as lessened the government's control over the market. The Enlightenment has continued to be influential throughout modern times in many ways but is most present through politics, religion and economics.

Few educators in history have made such a profound effect on the shape and molding of the future as John Locke. His approach on education and use of the science to prove his ideals not only shaped the ideals of the Enlightenment but European and American life itself (Trish, 2009). Locke disagreed with the relevance of ancient Greek philosophies in modern education and supported

European Imperialism was a period of colonial expansion by European powers during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The continents of Africa and Asia were two of the most imperialized areas in the world, and that greatly affected the people living there. The European Imperialism methods had a tremendous effect on the indigenous people of those areas through culture and conflicts.

England created its own failure. When Great Britain’s conquerors came to America, they tried to educate Americans under their religious beliefs. According to English, spreading their religious beliefs among the settlers was the only way to control and manipulate colonists. Years later, a few of the wealthiest Americans had the opportunity to go to Europe to have a schooling education while the rest of the population had to stay in their homeland following biblical studies. Without thinking that education could be the clue to liberate American colonies; the process of literacy continued for several years. Americans with foreign education brought European’s Enlightenments; then, those ideas were distributed among the people creating several consequences such the Common Sense pamphlet and the beginning of the Declaration of the Independence. Therefore, the Enlightenment era was the period where most of the illiterate people disappeared in America.

There are many things that set America apart from the world. Most notably are our political structure, social structure, capitalistic ideals, and the free exchange of ideas and beliefs that were all born from the desire for freedom. After hundreds of years of being told what to do by the Church and the monarchy, there came a time when the people decided that it was time to come out from under the thumb of both, and to become something better. None of this would have been possible if The Enlightenment had not paved the way. The Enlightenment fueled formation of America and continued influencing the evolution of America in to what it is today.

Throughout the 19th and 20th century, imperialism was a common force used by Europeans against ethnic countries. They used a superior demeanor implemented by social darwinism to convince natives that their way of life and international affairs were uncivilized in order to gain control of their land for selfish economic interests. Although the Europeans promised a progressive society by establishing colonies, they also forced civilization, stole resources, and stripped away culture.

Imperialism began in in the 19th century as Europe began to force itself upon weaker countries by commandeering control of those weaker states’ economies and governments. The acquisition of these states was legitimized through creating racial divisions and encouraging stratification of the classes where the white man asserted himself as the pure and capable

If prompted with the question what is colonization and or how did Europe and America colonize different countries and peoples the answer might be as simple as: it was the process of taking land from other countries and pushing to change the peoples of those countries towards western ways. This answer is to simple, a lot of people do not know the motives behind colonizing another country. Even though the motives behind colonizing another country depend on the time and location of the colonizing, Europe and America have always set above every other country around the world. They title themselves as being superior to all others. Thus, a lot of countries bought into the western ways and believe Westerners to be “demigod”. In Michael Adas essay, Contested Hegemony: The Great War and the Afro-Asian Assault on the Civilizing-Mission, even though the focus is on the ups and downs of colonization in Asia and Africa. The essay looks at the motives behind colonizing these peoples, why some bought into the idea and how World War One changed everything for Europe, Asia and Africa in terms of colonization.

Colonialism, is basically where a country takes over partially or completely of a foreign land. They claimed the land as their own and begin to abuse it for their own advantage. Many restrictions in education, employment, and health benefits are imposed by the white settler to the colonized. Settlers started establishing their own homes, therefore, they impose by force their own culture upon the colonized. But, they also begin to exploit them for their own economic interests. Frantz Fanon a famous anti-colonialist thought that European colonialism had tremendously affected the indigenous societies negatively.

The Age of Enlightenment was an intellectual and scientific movement which is characterized by its rational and scientific approach to religious, social, political, and economic issues. Enlightenment ideals challenged the way people were taught to think and let them express their criticism of the church, the monarchy or whatever system they saw as unjust. The impact of the enlightenment movement was first seen in 18th century Europe and soon spread to different parts of the world. People who believed in these ideals were called enlightenment thinkers. Enlightenment thinkers were a voice for the masses who felt they were being manipulated by people holding all the power. It also helped the masses realize that they did not need the church or monarchy, and enlightenment thinkers were able to assemble a following to stop people of power taking advantage of those who were not quite as powerful. Enlightenment thinkers gave an outlet to the common citizen who were seeing injustices in their government system.